Ribbon-feed shift for type-writing machines.



L. C. MYERS. RIBBON FEED SHIFT FOR T YPE WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED 0Ec.1'4.1914.

1 9 @1 ,wgn I Patented NW. 23, 1915.

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LEWIS C. MYERS, OF IBROOKLYN, YORK, ASSIGNOR EEO-ROYAL TYPEWRITEWCOMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RIBBON-FEED SHIFT FOR TYPE-WRITIN G MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, rain.

Application filed December 14, 1914. Serial No. 877,065.

- ment in Ribbon-Feed Shifts for Type Writ ing Machines, of which thefollowing-is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic reverse feeding mechanism of theribbons of a type writing machine, such as used in the Royal visibletypewriter, and consists of improvements in certain parts of the ribbonmechanism disclosed in Patent No. 1,084,656 issued Jan. 20, 1914, andthese improvements will now be fully described by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the lefthand ribbon spool actuating mechanism viewed from the right hand side ofthe machine: and Fig. 2 illustrates an improvement in the device fordisengaging the automatic. control when it is desired to turn the ribbonspools manually.

All of the devices and parts of a typewriting machine shown in thedrawings that are shown and described in the before mentioned patent aresimilarly indicated, and only such parts as directly relate to thepresent improvements are illustrated.

- It will'be understood that the shift of the ribbon feed of each spoolwill be automatically effected. As shown, the ribbon is assumed to havebeen unwound from the spool 14 and the shift actuating latch 20 to havemoved into operative position with'its arm 25 acting on the cam face 27of the lever 29. This lever is pivoted at 31 to a suitable part of theframe and its cam face is moved in direction toward the spool by aspring 30, and, in the old device, this lever rigidly continues to itslower end and carries thereat a roller 34.

A shaft 10 carries at one of its ends a worm 11, and this end of theshaft is floating,that is, it is adapted to move upwardly to set theworm in engagement with a worm wheel 12 secured to the lower end of avertical shaft 13 that carries the ribbon spool 14 at its upper end and,when in its lower position, to engage the wheel 15 secured to shaft 16,as shown in the drawing. This shaft 16 extends across the machine andactuates the right hand ribbon spool. The other end of shaft 10 isconnected through a universal joint to, and operated by, the carriagefeed spring barrel mechanism. These parts are not here shown but fullyshown and described in the earlierpatent above mentioned.

The floating end of shaft 10 has a bearing in a lever 41 whose rockingcenter is the axis of ashaft to which shaft the lever is secured. Anupwardly extending arm of this lever is controlled by a locking arm 37held up by a spring 38, the function and operation of which are fullydescribed in the before mentioned patent.

A cam 35, having a gradual rise and asudden drop from its highest to itslowest part; is secured to the shaft 10 in position to co-act with theroller 34, by said roller passing under the cam, when the spool latch 20acts on the upper end of the lever 29. This lever, as before stated, isin the old device a continuous rigid piece and there is liability of theroller striking the side of the cam 35 should its high part be in thepath of the roller when it is moving under the cam. Such action tends toimpart an excessive strain to parts of the device and to the ribbon asit turns the spool 14 with its latch contacting with the cam face 27,and the 0bviation of this isthe object of one feature of this invention.To this end the lever 29 is made flexible or yielding, the roller 34being carried on the lower end of an arm or bar 80. the upper end ofwhich is. by a suitable pivotal connection 81, attached to the lever 29in such manner that, should the high part of the cam 35 be down when theroller 34 is moved laterally toward the cam, the arm 80 will rock on itscenter 81 as shown in the drawing. In so rocking tension is applied to alight spring 82 connected between a projection 83 of the arm .80 and astud 84 on the lever. This spring'82, while adequately strong to set theroller 34 under the cam 35, as soon as the high part of the cam passesby the'roller, is sufiiciently delicate to prevent excessive orinjurious strains on the latch 20 or on the ribbon. The roller 34is'properly located under the cam by the stop lug 85 on the upper end ofarm 80 contacting with the side of the lever 29.

It will be understood that with the roller 34 under the cam 35, thefloating end of the Another feature of this invention resides inthe'device'for disconnecting the automatic feed of the ribbon when it isdesired to feed theribbon from either other by hand. The shaft 65, towhich 1s secured the lever 11, extends toward the spool to the front ofthe machine and has a crank 66 and an operating knob 69. By moving thisknob to about central position, the worm 11 will be set. inoperativelybetween the wheels 12 and 15'; and to facilitate holding these parts inthis position, a lever 7 O is provided pivoted at 71 and having a notchadapted to seat over the upper part of crank 66 and held in thisposition by a knob 72. A spring 7 6 raises and holds the lever 70 awayfrom the crank 66. With a single notch, as shown in the beforementionedpatent, holding the worm in central position between wheels 12 and 15,the crank isfliable to fall or move in either direction when releasedfrom the holding lever 70. To insure the crank and the worm moving backinto the positions from which they are moved and held by the lever 70,this lever is provided with a double notch 86, 87 that is, the mainnotch or angular opening 88 has at its'apex a small angular projection89, thus producing at its sides the notches 86, 87 Referring to Fig. 2it will be seen, the crank 66 being to the rightand the Worm 11 down inwheel 15, that upon depression of lever 70 the crank will be moved intonotch 8-6 and the worm raised and that, as the crank is still to theright'of central position, it will fall back to original position whenreleased from the lever 70,, the worm 11, of course, moving back to thewheel 15. With the crank in opposite position, to the left of a centralline, and the worm acting on gear wheel 12, similar, but reverseactions, occur upon'manip'ulation-of'the lever 70.

- 1 I claim:

I" 1. A- ribbonfeed shift for typewriting machines, comprising a driveshaft having a bearing near one end in a rocking lever arm and a drivinggear at this end, coacting gears for transmitting motion to the ribbonspools with which the shaft gear is adapted to alternately engage, ashift member carried by one of the spools, a yielding lever pivotedmediate its ends, with one end formed to be acted upon by the shiftmember and its other end provided with a roller and a cam on'the driveshaft for coaction with the rollerwhen the lever is moved by gears fortransmitting motion to the ribbon spools with which the shaft gear isadapted to alternately engage, a shift member carried by one of thespools, a yielding lever pivo ed mediate its ends, with one end formedto be acted upon by the shift memher, an arm or bar pivotally connectedto the other end of the lever, a roller at the free end of this bar, aspring for holding the bar in normal operative position on the lever,and a cam on the drive arranged to be acted upon by the roller to movethe driving gear from one of its coacting gears to the other.

3. A ribbon feed shift for typewriting machine's, comprising a driveshaft having a bearing near one end in a'rocking lever arm and a drivinggear at this end, coacting gears for transmitting motion to the ribbonspools with which the shaft gear is adapted to alternately engage, ashift member'carried by one of the spools, a yielding lever pivotedmediate itsends, with one end formed to be acted upon'by theshiftmember, an arm or bar pivotally connected to the other end of thelever, a roller, at the free end of this bar, a spring connected with alug on the bar and with the lever,- a projection on the bar adapted tocontact with the edge of the lever for holding the bar by the action ofthe spring in normal operative position on the lever, and a cam on thedrive arranged to be acted upon by the roller to move the driving gearfrom one of its coacting gears to the other.

4. A ribbon feed shift for typewriting machines, comprising a driveshaft having a bearing near one end in a rocking lever arm and a drivinggear at this end, coacting gears for transmitting motion to the ribbonspools with which the shaft gear is adapted to alternately engage, ashaft connected to the lever arm and with which it rocks, an upwardlyextending crank arm on the shaft, anda notched arm adapted to engagewith and hold the crank arm in position on either side of verticalcentral position, the driving gear of the drive shaft then beingdisengaged from both. of its coacting gears.

5. A ribbon feed shift for typewriting machines, comprising a driveshaft having a bearing near one end in a rocking lever arm and a drivmggear at this end, coacting gears for transmitting motlon to the ribbonIspools with which the shaft gear is adapted to alternately engage, ashaft connected to thereof constitutmg twonotches ddepte to the leverarm and with which it rocks an thefifbeingdisengaged from both ofitsfc'upwardly extending crank arm onthesha'ft,faetingfagearsk and a notchedarm havinge-main' augul ar 11i testiinonjflwhereof, I have herenntq 1*recess and an angulal projectibn -et the a ex subse ibed .;my nanie..

LEWIS OQMYERS engage with and hold the-crenkerm' in posi-. Witnesses: 3

tion on either side of.yertieal' centi'aliposi -G. E -HE SS, I tion, thedriving gear ofrthedflrive, shaft G oRGEQHANDL D' Uopies of this patentmayibel-ebtaineqfier fiveeents each;hy iaddlt essing theicbmmissiefii-efEatQntsy Washington,1) C." 7

